^  ^ Ana 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (iVif-3) 


h 


A 


<  <i"  J 


% 


A 


i.O 


I.I 


110    111112.0 


IM 

2.2 


1.8 


1.25 

1.4       1.6 

" 

6"     

► 

I 


Hiotographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


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33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MSSO 

(716)  872-4503 


cS^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historicai  IVIicroreproductions 


Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductions  historiquas 


1980 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notat/Notas  tachniquas  at  bibliographiquas 


Tha  Inatituta  hat  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
raproduction,  or  which  may  aignificantly  changa 
tha  uaual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  balow. 


0 


Colourad  covers/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


I     I   Covars  damaged/ 


D 


Couvarture  endommagte 

Covars  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurAe  et/ou  peiiiculAe 


r~n   Cover  title  missing/ 


D 
D 
D 
D 

D 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I     I   Coloured  maps/ 


D 


Cartes  gAographiques  en  couleur 

Colourec'  ink  (i.e  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  eutre  que  bieue  ou  noire) 


Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  meterial/ 
RallA  avac  d'autras  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serrAe  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  le  marge  intArieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoretion  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  aJoutAas 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
meis,  lorsque  cele  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pes  At*  flimAes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentairas  supplAmantaSras: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  AtA  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  dAtails 
de  cet  exbmplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mAthode  normale  de  filmaga 
sont  indiquAs  ci-dessous. 


Th( 
to 


I — I   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagAes 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaurAes  et/ou  pelliculAes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxe< 
Pages  dAcolorAes,  tachetAes  ou  piquAes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  dAtachAes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

QualitA  inAgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  matarii 
Comprend  du  matAriel  supplAmentaIre 


I — I  Pages  damaged/ 

I — I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

I — I  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

r~n  Pages  detached/ 

j~n  Showthrough/ 

I     I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

r~n  Includes  supplementary  material/ 


Th( 
poi 
of 
filr 


Ori 
bei 
th€ 
sio 

otr 

fin 
sio 
or 


Only  edition  eveiiabla/ 
Seule  Adition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  imege/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  una  peiure, 
etc.,  ont  AtA  fiimAes  A  nouveeu  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  Image  possible. 


Th< 
shi 
Tl^ 
wh 

Ma 
dif< 
«ni 
bej 
rigl 
req 
me 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  f limA  au  taux  de  rAduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


•' 


12X 


16X 


20X 


a4X 


28X 


32X 


Th«  copy  filmed  h«r«  hat  b««n  r«produc«d  thanks 
to  tho  ganorosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


L'axampiaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grAca  A  la 
ginAroaitA  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copias  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^^>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  imagas  suivantes  ont  Ati  raproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soln.  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nattet*  de  Texemplaira  filmA.  et  en 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 

Les  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmAs  en  commen^ant 
par  la  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'kllustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autras  exemplairas 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commen^ant  par  la 
premiAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  la  symbols  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartas,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
film  As  A  des  taux  de  rAduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA.  il  est  f ilmA  A  partir 
da  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas.  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imagas  nAcessaira.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
H'ustrant  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

■55!J!!?^^"Tii n«  l( .  ^,1 


XsbL 


The   Life  and  Work 


OF 


INNOCENT 


THE 


ARCHBISHOP 


ov 


1 

Kamchatka,  the  Kuriles  and  the  Aleutian  Islands 


AND  LATBB  THE 


Metropolitan  of  Moscow 


I  ?%  ^ 


SA.N      KRANOISCO 


'797 


A.UKUat  aettx 
September  7tlrx 


1897 


I* 


'>'    'i^    *"5-*»''*^'  '  A^" 


yv^w 


k'   'i    \^  ■^ 
If*  l^j.- 


,  *• 


wi/A  .!><^i>H»i^, 


•4^ 


M^^ 


M»i»l 


I. 


Innooentius,  Archbishop  of  Kamchatka,  the  Kuriles 
and  the  Aleutian  Islands,  the  ever  memorable  preacher 
of  Christianity  in  the  extreme  East,  was  elevated  to  the 
vacant  See  of  Moscow  in  1867,  on  the  demise  of  the  cel- 
ebrated Metropolitan  Philaret.  From  the  distant  shores 
of  the  Amoor  he  went  direct  to  the  first  capital  city  of 
Moscow — the  heart  of  Bussia. 

The  town  of  Angiuskoe  in  the  Government  of  Ir- 
koutsk  was  the  home  of  Innocentius.  The  register  of 
the  charch  in  Anginskoe  shows  that  "  on  the  26th  of 
August  (old  style),  1797,  the  wife  of  the  sacristan  of  the 
church  of  St.  Elias  the  Prophet,  Eusebius  Popov,  bore 
him  a  son  who  was  named  John."  At  five  years  of  age 
John  Popov  commenced  to  study  his  alphabet,  being 
instructed  by  his  father,  who  was  at  the  time  already 
afflicted  with  the  disease  which  brought  on  his  death 
two  years  later,  leaving  a  widow  and  four  orphans  in 
extreme  poverty.  Fortunately  the  uncle  of  the  orphans, 
a  deacon  of  the  same  church,  Demetrius  Popov,  in 
order  to  help  the  orphaned  family  somewhat,  took  the 
little  boy  John  into  his  own  home  and  continued  teach- 
ing him.  The  little  one  learned  so  rapidly  that  in  his 
eighth  year  he  read  the  epistles  in  church  and  by  his 
clear  reading  afforded  much  consolation  to  the  parish- 
ioners. The  mother  of  the  boy,  observing  her  bon's 
success,  desired  to  obtain  his  father's  vacancy  for  him, 
in  order  to  support  the  family;  but  this  did  not  come  to 
pass.    At  nine  years  of  age  John  Popov  was  brought  to 

145662 


Irkoutsk,  where  he  was  received  as  a  scholar  at  the  theo- 
logical seminary. 

At  the  seminary  John  surpassed  all  his  schoolmates 
in  learning.  Tall  of  stature,  with  a  good  figure,  and 
healthy;  he  was  readily  distinguished  in  their  midst. 
At  the  time  when  John  Popov  entered  the  seminary,  his 
uncle,  with  whom  he  previously  lived,  became  a  wid- 
ower, and  having  taken  the  monastic  vows  with  the 
name  of  David,  he  was  transferred  to  Irkoutsk,  making 
his  home  at  the  episcopal  house,  having  also  been  or- 
dained to  the  priesthood;  and  here,  as  before,  he  con- 
tinued to  care  for  his  nephew,  who  often  visited  him. 
Father  David  was  fond  of  mechanical  labor;  his  nephew, 
coming  to  him,  often  found  him  at  work  on  some 
machinery,  and  looking  on  assisted  him,  thus  becoming 
very  fond  of  the  mechanical  art  himself. 

At  the  seminary,  during  the  time  free  of  lessons, 
John  always  found  occupation  for  himself;  he  would  go 
somewhere  apart  from  his  schoolmates  and  read  to  him- 
self, or  else  engage  in  building  something.  It  was  in 
this  way  he  made  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  seminary 
a  water-clock.  The  frame  aud  wheels  were  made  wi*:h 
a  common  knife  aud  awl,  the  face  was  made  of  writin^^ 
paper,  the  pointers  of  bits  of  wood.  The  water  was 
poured  into  a  pot  of  birch  bark,  and  the  dripping  of  it 
on  a  piece  of  tin  beneath  the  pot  sounded  like  the  tick- 
ing of  an  ordinary  clock;  a  bell  sounded  the  hours. 
John's  fellow  -  pupils  were  very  much  amused  by 
this. 

In  1814  a  new  rector  of  the  seminary,  guided  by  cer- 
tain motives,  thought  it  proper  to  change  the  surnames 
of  the  pupils.  In  giving  names,  the  authorities  gen- 
erally considered  some  characteristic  of  the  pupil,  which 
assisted  in  making  up  the  name;  for  instance,  one  v/no 
was  good-looking  consequently  received  the  r.ame 
Blagovidov  (i.  e.  Good-looks);  a  pupil  of  quiet  diiposi- 


tiou  WAS  named  Tihomirov  (tihi  is  quiet,  and  mir  is  the 
world;  the  final  ov  or  off  denotes  the  possessive  case  and 
generally  can  be  translated  as  son,  for  instance  John- 
sou).  Veniaminov  was  the  name  given  to  John  Popov. 
He  was  named  thus  in  honor  of  Benjamin,  the  Bishop 
of  Irkoutsk,  who  was  much  loved  by  all,  and  who  had 
died  that  same  year.  In  .1817  John  Veniaminov  mar- 
ried, after  which  he  was  ordained  a  deacon  for  the 
Church  of  the  Annunciation  in  Irkoutsk. 

Graduating  from  the  seminary  John  Veniaminov  was 
appointed  teacher  of  a  parish  school,  and  after  a  year 
ordained  a  priest  for  the  same  Church  of  the  Annuncia- 
tion. In  the  course  of  his  service  (which  was  short,  a 
little  over  two  years)  he  won  the  estet^m  and  love  of  his 
people  as  a  good  shepherd  who  cares  for  his  ilock.  The 
inhabitants  of  Irkoutsk  long  remembered  the  even  and 
grand  church  services  of  Father  John,  likewise  his 
kindly  nature  and  pastoral  cares.  On  Sundays,  before 
the  liturgy,  he  would  gather  the  children  in  the  church 
and  instruct  them  in  Christian  lessons.  Only  two  years 
passed  thus,  in  which  he  enjoyed  his  quiet  home  life; 
soon  he  must  change  it .  for  a  life  full  of  privations, 
trouble,  heavy  labor  and  glorious  undertakings. 

In  1823  the  Most  Holy  Synod  requested  the  Bishop 
of  Irkoutsk  to  send  a  priest  to  the  Island  Ounalashka, 
for  the  purpose  of  enlightening  the  natives  with  the 
faith  of  Christ.  Ounalashka  and  the  neighboring 
islands  lie  out  a  long  distance  from  Siberia,  between 
Kamchatka  and  America.  The  Prelate  informed  the 
clergy  of  Irkoutsk,  but  no  one  was  found  to  accept  the 
Holy  Synod's  offer.  No  one  desired  to  go  to  a  strange 
and  distant  land.  The  Bishop  was  put  in  an  awkward 
position;  the  order  of  the  Synod  must  be  carried  out, 
yet  no  volunteers  were  found,  and  he  could  not  send  any 
one  against  his  will.  Then  it  was  that  the  priest  of  the 
Annunciation  (parish),  Father  John  Veniaminov  came 


to  His  Bight  Reverence  and  informed  him  of  his  will- 
ingness to  go  to  Ounalashka.  The  Bishop  was  not  a 
littie  surprised  at  this;  he  was  sorry  to  give  up  an  ex- 
emplary clergyman. 

It  liiust  be  remembered  that  at  the  time  this  an- 
nouncement was  sent  to  the  clergy  by  the  Bishop, 
Father  Yeniaminov,  as  well,  as  all  the  clergy,  did  not  so 
much  as  think  of  accepting  it.  It  happened  that  Father 
John  about  this  same  time  became  acquainted  with  a 
certain  John  Kriukov,  who  had  come  to  Irkoutsk  from 
Ounalashka.  This  newcomer,  Kriukov,  from  the  coast 
of  America,  had  much  to  tell  him  of  Ounalashka  and  of 
life  out  there  and  he  went  so  far  as  to  persuade  him  to 
accept  the  Bishop^s  offer.  But  no  persuasion  affected 
him.  How  it  was  that  Father  John  became  taken  with 
the  desire  to  go  to  such  a  distant  land,  many  years  after 
he  tells  of  it  himself  in  these  words:  "  When  that  pio- 
neer, John  Kriukov,  had  already  bidden  me  good-bye, 
and  on  his  fare  we  11- taking  still  continued  to  persuade 
iue  to  go  to  Ounalashka — and  on  the  same  day,  taking 
leave  of  the  Bishop  (in  whose  presence  I  happened  to 
be  then)  he  commenced  telling  of  the  devotion  of  the 
Aleuts  to  prayer  and  to  listening  to  the  Word  of  God 
(may  the  name  of  the  Lord  be  blessed);  I  suddenly,  it 
can  be  said,  and  completely  became  inflamed  with  the 
desire  to  go  to  such  a  people.  I  now  vividly  call  to 
memory,  how  I  suffered  with  impatience,  waiting  for 
the  moment  when  I  could  inform  His  Bight  Reverence 
of  my  intention,  and  he  seemed  to  be  surprised,  saying 
only:  we  shall  see." 

After  a  long  hesitation  the  Bishop  at  last  consented. 
The  family  of  Father  John  did  not  so  much  as  suspect 
the  rapid  change  in  his  determination.  On  coming 
home  Father  John  said  npthing  of  his  intentions  to  his 
family.  But  of  course,  such  a  sudden  turn  in  his  fate 
could  not  but  reflect  itself  on  him,  so  that  it  became 


apparent  to  those  around  hira.  During  one  of  the 
family  conversations,  his  little  sou,  somewhat  over  a 
year  old,  came  up  to  him.  Father  John  took  him  up  in 
his  arms.  "  My  child,"  said  he,  '  where  will  your  feet 
soon  be  a- walking."  Now  only  was  it  that  his  family  sur- 
mise'^ at  what  had  happened;  they  fell  upon  him  with 
teai.  and  wailings,  begging  him  to  alter  his  decision. 
But  he  remained  steadfast.  They  commenced  to  pre- 
pare for  the  long,  strange  journey. 

On  the  7th  of  May,  1823,  Father  John  left  Irkoutsk 
with  his  family,  which  then  consisted  of  his  old  mother, 
his  wife,  a  son  a  year  old,  and  a  brother. 

First  of  all  he  went  to  his  home,  in  rural  Anginskoe, 
and  from  there,  having  offered  a  prayer-service,  took  a 
barge  going  down  the  river  Lena  to  Yakoutsk. 

The  Lena  is  the  largest  river  in  Siberia  and  flows  into 
the  Arctic  Ocean. 

From  Yakoutsk  Father  John  had  to  ride  to  Ohotsk,  a 
city  in  Eastern  Siberia,  on  the  shore  of  the  Sea  of 
Ohotsk.  The  distance  between  Yakoutsk  and  Ohotsk  is 
one  thousand  versts,  or  about  700  miles,  and  he  made 
all  that  way  with  his  family,  on  horseback.  The  road 
was  a  difficult  one;  now  he  would  ride  by  narrow  trails 
through  dense  forests,  then  he  would  make  his  way  over 
such  marshy  land,  that  a  horse  would  sink  into  it  to  its 
belly,  and  at  other  times  he  must  climb  along  a  slope,  or 
a  steep,  rocky  mountain  and  move  along  its  slippery 
back  covered  with  snow.  Yet  with  God's  help  Father 
John  patiently  overcame  all  these  hardships.  At  last 
the  travelers  heard  the  dull  roar  of  sea  waves  breaking 
against  the  high  cliffs  on  the  coast.  The  masts  of 
vessels  on  the  Ohotsk  Biver  gradually  appeared  to  them, 
and  then  the  city  of  Ohotsk  itself.  From  Ohotsk  to  the 
Island  of  Ounalashka  Father  John  made  the  voyage  in 
a  sailing  vessel.  On  ttie  29th  of  July»  1824,  he  safely 
arrived  at  the  place  of  his  appointment. 


6 


U. 


Oanalashka  is  one  of  the  Aleutian  Islands.  These 
Islands  lie  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  between  Kamchatka 
and  Alaska.  Ounalashka  is  about  the  largest  island  in 
the  Aleutian  group.  It  is  150  yersts  in  length  and  more 
than  fifty  in  width. 

The  climate  on  this  Island,  as  well  as  on  the  others, 
is  damp  and  changeable.  Cloudy  weather  with  fogs  and 
winds  is  the  condition  for  the  most  part  of  the  year, 
while  clear  and  bright  days  are  very  rare,  not  more 
than  fifty  of  them  throughout  the  year.  The  summer 
here  is  not  too  warm,  but  in  winter  the  frosts  are  some- 
times so  severe  as  to  frost-bite  a  flying  bird. 

Besides  the  Aleutian  Islano  there  were  others  also 
which  belonged  to  the  parish  of  Father  John;  among 
them  were  the  Fox,  the  Pribilov  and  other  Islands. 

The  native  inhabitants  of  all  these  islands  are  em- 
ployed in  hunting  fur-animals  and  fishing.  They  live 
in  villages  of  earthen  huts,*  which  appear  more  like 
bear  haunts  than  human  habitations.  In  the  day  time 
the  interior  of  the  hut  obtains  its  light  from  a  window 
in  the  roof,  through  which  also  the  smoke  escapes,  but 
at  night  a  fire  burns  In  the  center  of  the  hut,  which 
heats  it  also. 

The  wealthy  Aleuts  have  the  walls  of  their  huts  cov- 
ered with  furs  and  skins;  no  furniture  or  seats  pro- 
vided,  they  sit  upon  the  floor.  Their  utensils  they  sel- 
dom wash,  although  they  cook  and  wash  their  clothes  in 
the  same.    The  Aleuts  are  an  unclean  people. 

In  appearance  the  Aleuts  are  homely  and  have  poor 
features;  they  are  of  middle  stature,  but  on  first  sight 
they  appear  to  be  very  short,  because  of  the  fact  that  the 


''^his  was  before  the  Bussiaus  bnd  (ally  suooeeded  in  obtaining 
the  neoessary  materials  for  building,  which  are  not  provided  by 
nature  in  the  Alaskan  Islands. 


.1 


knees  of  all  of  them  are  bent  in  consequence  of  their 
continual  posture  on  the  floor,  or  sitting  in  a  baidarka 
(canoe).  They  walk  with  the  points  of  their  feet  turn- 
ing in,  while  their  heels  spread  outwards.  It  is  impos- 
sible for  a  Russian  to  walk  in  the  path  made  by  an 
Aleut 

These  people  are  good  and  bc« ft- hearted.  In  time  of 
want,  and  during  the  winters  f^  famine  is  nothing  new  with 
them;  should  any  one  of  ^aem  be  nhle  to  obtain  some 
food,  he  will  bo  sure  to  divide  i(  among  them  all.  They 
show  much  attention  and  lovr  for  their  parents  and 
elders.  They  are  very  hardy  luid  patient  It  seems 
impossible  to  think  of  any  hardship  that  un  Aleut  could 
not  bear,  or  of  any  sorrow  that  would  make  him  melan- 
choly. In  time  of  want  it  is  nothing  extraordinary  for 
him  to  live  on  water  alone  for  three  and  four  days.  In 
sickness,  when  suffering  excruciating  pain,  you  will  not 
hear  him  utter  a  cry  nor  a  sigh. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  Father  John  the 
Aleuts  were  in  a  wild  condition,  and  in  religious  belief 
they  were  half  idol  worshippers.  Father  John  had 
found  but  one  chapel  in  Ounalashka  on  his  arrival 
there,  and  that  was  an  old  wooden  one.  His  first  work 
was  to  build  a  new  church.  Being  himself  a  good  car- 
penter and  builder,  he  began  teaching  the  natives  these 
handicrafts,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  suflicieutly  profi- 
cient, he  commenced  building  the  church.  At  that  he 
took  a  lively  personal  intv  Test  in  the  work,  and  made 
with  his  own  hands  the  holy  'table  and  ikonostasis,* 
which  he  gilded.  The  church  was  dedicated  in  honor 
of  the  Ascension  of  the  Lord.  At  the  same  time  Father 
John  Veniaminov  undertook  a  great  and  difiQcult  task — 
the  study  of  the  native  languages.  He  desired  to  trans- 
late for  the  aborigines  the  Gospel  and  the  liturgy,  and — 


*A  screen  with  the  images  of  oar  Lord,  the  Apostles,  etc.,  af. 
arating  the  altar  from  the  body  of  the  temple. 


8 


as  we  shall  see  hereafter — he  accomplished  the  undertak- 
ing. We  call  this  work  remarkable,  for  the  reason 
that  he  had  to  undergo  the  labor  of  inventing  the  very 
alphabet  itself,  which  these  languages  never  had. 
Studying  the  Aleutian  language,  Father  John  endeav- 
ored to  acquaint  himself  with  their  traditions  and  cus- 
toms, in  order  to  be  better  understood  when  preaching 
to  them  the  Word  of  God.  He  could  often  be  seen  con- 
versing with  those  who  were  converted  before  he  came 
to  the  island,  and  also  with  the  pagan  natives,  about  the 
true  religion. 

He  preached  sermons  to  them  adapted  to  their  under- 
standing; he  explained  the  meaning  of  the  different 
feasts,  confession  and  holy  communion,  also  repeating 
how  necessary  it  is  to  often  attend  church  services. 

Eye-witnesses  recall  to  memory  the  sermon  that 
Father  John  preached  on  the  Sunday  of  Cheese- Fare, 
on  February  9th,  1828,  which  also  happened  to  be  the 
day  of  St.  Innocentius,  the  Wonder-worker  of  Irkoutsk. 
The  great  multitude  of  hearers  were  impressed  and 
moved  to  tears  by  the  sincere  words  and  humility  of  this 
priest.  First  he  explained  the  meaning  of  fast  and 
showed  the  difference  between  the  primitive  Christians 
and  those  of  today.  "  The  Christians  of  old  "  said  Father 
John  Veniaminov,  "  with  great  joy  looked  forward  and 
awaited  the  coming  of  hoiy  Lent,  as  they  knew  the  power 
and  benefit  of  Lent,  and  they  understood  wherefore  it 
^as  instituted — and  they  knew  not  only  with  their  mind, 
or  by  hearing,  but  by  the  very  sense  of  feeling  (exper- 
ience). But  many  of  the  christians  of  today,  with  sor- 
row see  the  approach  of  the  time  of  fast,  because  they 
do  not  see,  and  do  not  know,  or  do  not  care  to  know  and 
see  the  power  and  benefit  of  Lent."  Then  the  preacher 
put  the  question:  "Why  was  it  that  Lent  was  insti- 
tuted, and  how  can  we  fulfill  the  duties  which  it  exacts 
of  us?"     Explaining  this  question,  he  then  continued: 


i 


ii 


9 


i 


"Our  Orthodox  Church  (Grseco-Russian)  follows  the 
custom  of  asking  forgiveness  on  this  day  tor  the  offenses 
done  one  to  another,  as  the  time  of  Great  Lent  is  come, 
during  which  we  must  beg  forgiveness  of  the  Heavenly 
Father.  In  fulfilling  this  holy  practice,  I,  your  un- 
worthy pastor,  ask  of  you,  my  brethren,  the  forgiveness 
of  all  with  which  I  have  sinned  before  you,  if  by  word, 
or  in  deed,  or  in  my  life;  may  God  by  His  grace  forgive 
and  have  mercy  upon  us  all.  I  advise  you  also,  breth- 
ren, to  fulfill  this  duty  now,  and  to  always  keep  the  prac- 
tice hereafter.  We  should  forgive  and  ask  forgiveness 
sincerely  and  correctly,  and  not  in  outward  appearance, 
falsely.  Moreover,  the  holy  Church — our  Mother,  ad- 
vises and  requests  us — and  the  duty  of  Christianity  de- 
mands of  us — to  keep  this  holy  Lent,  to  cleanse  our  con- 
science from  (the  stain  of)  evil  works  by  true  repent- 
ance And  in  this  way,  with  a  pure  soul  and  heart,  we 
shall  go  forward  to  meet  the  great  day  of  the  glorious 
Resurrection." 

It  was  not  only  with  the  sermons  which  he  preached 
near  his  home,  that  Father  John  served  his  charge.  His 
parish  was  widely  scattered,  over  several  thousand 
versts;  he  had  to  sail  from  island  to  island,  from  one 
village  to  another.  To  these  voyages  Father  Venia- 
minov  gave  a  good  part  of  the  year.  His  patience  and 
intrepidity  whila  traveling  are  truly  worthy  of  admira- 
ation.  He  suffered  privations  and  risked  danger  sailing 
from  island  to  island,  over  the  ocean  waves  in  a  little 
boat  (baidarka — an  Aleutine  canoe  made  of  skin),  so 
narrow,  that  he  must  outstretch  his  limbs  and  keep  them 
so,  as  if  they  were  bound  together  in  swaddling  clothes. 
Sometimes  Father  John  was  obliged  to  suffer  hunger 
and  cold,  and  again,  being  caught  in  a  sweeping  rain, 
wet  to  the  bone,  he  would  have  to  lodge  in  a  dirty  and 
cold  earthen  but.  Arriving  at  a  village  of  Aleuts,  if  it 
was  convenient  Father  John  performed  the  Church  ser- 


7 


10 

vices,  or  simply  gathered  together  the  inhabitants  and 
taught  them  the  Word  of  God  and  advised  them  to  re- 
ceive baptism.  But  he  never  administered  to  them  the 
Sacrament  of  Baptism,  antil  they  had  asked  for  it  them- 
selves. 

Having  acquired  the  Aleutian  language  Father  John 
invented  an  alphabet  for  it  and  little  by  little  com- 
menced to  translate  for  his  people  the  sacred  books. 
This  way  he  translated  into  the  Aleutian  language  the 
catechism  and  the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew.  In  order  to 
teach  the  Aleuts  how  to  read  and  write,  he  opened  a 
school  on  the  Island  of  Ounalashka  for  boys  and  taught 
them  himself. 

Father  Veniarainov  loved  the  Aleuts  for  their  simple- 
heartedness  and  diligence  in  hearing  the  Word  of  God; 
and  the  Aleuts  also  loved  their  pastor,  and  were  sincerely 
devoted  to  him  for  his  good  nature  and  for  the  kindness 
he  showed  them.  '•  Of  all  the  good  qualities  of  the 
Aleuts,"  Father  John  would  say,  "  nothing  gave  me 
more  pleasure  and  satisfied  my  heart  than  the  diligenoe 
they  had  for  listening,  or  more  properly  the  thirst  they 
had  for  hearing  the  Word  of  God,  for  a  most  untiring 
preacher  could  become  weary  sooner  than  their  iiligence 
become  lessened.  Let  us  explain  this  by  an  example. 
On  my  arrival  in  a  village,  one  and  all,  leaving  their 
work  and  occupations  at  my  first  call,  at  once  gathered 
to  hear  me  preach,  and  listening  with  wonderful  atten- 
tion, not  allowing  themselves  to  become  restless  or  even 
to  turn  their  eyes  from  me.  The  most  tender  mothers 
seemed  at  such  moments  to  grow  hardened  at  the  cry  of 
their  children,  of  whom  only  those  were  brought  along 
that  were  able  to  understand.  I  acknowledge  openly 
that  during  such  conversations  (or  preaching),  I  exper- 
ienced in  fact  the  consolations  of  the  christian  faith, 
those  sweet  and  unspeakable  touches  of  grace,  and 
therefore  I  owe  the  Aleuts  more  Uian^s  than  they  owe 
me  for  my  work,  and  I  will  never  forget  them.'' 


It 


9 


u 


f 


i 


On  the  Island  of  Ounalashka  Father  John  at  first 
lived  with  his  family  in  an  earthen  hut,  then  in  a  small 
wooden  house,  which  he  built  with  his  own  hands.  The 
furniture,  the  clock  on  the  wall,  were  his  own  make;  in 
a  word,  when  it  was  necessary,  he  became  carpenter, 
mechanic,  watch-maker,  and  sometimes  a  maker  of  fish- 
ing nets.  The  evenings  Father  Veniaminov  sometimes 
would  spend  in  mechanical  work,  or  in  teaching  his  own 
children,  to  whom  he  was  most  kind.  Not  only  his  own 
children,  but  other  children  as  well,  he  loved,  and  he 
could  often  be  seen  surrounded  by  them,  explaining  to 
them  some  lessons  from  Sacred  History  or  the  Gospel 
in  his  simple  way,  and  with  language  easily  understood, 
or  at  other  times  playing  at  ball  with  them.  He  would 
ramble  with  the  children  in  the  hills,  and  as  a  lover  and 
observer  of  nature,  he  would  share  with  them  his 
knowledge.  Besides  such  occupations  Father  John 
with  his  children  would  make  the  candles  for  their 
church. 

In  such  constant  labor  and  cares  Father  John  Venia- 
minov passed  ten  years  on  the  Island  of  Ounalashka. 
During  that  time  he  converted  to  Christianity  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  island.  The  toil  and  noble  under- 
takings of  this  good  priest  could  not  remain  unnoticed 
on  the  part  of  the  authorities,  and  he  was  rewarded 
with  a  pectoral  cross.  Th«n  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Port  of  New  Archangel,  or  Sitkha  (on  Baranov  Island), 
that  he  might  convert  another  people — the  Eolosha-s. 


III. 


Sitkha  or  New  Archangel  is  a  good  distance  from  the 
Aleutian  Islands,  and  lies  almost  within  touch  of  the 
mainland  of  America.  . , 


12 


I 

I      ^ 

I 


The  climate  here  is  noted  for  being  damp,  and  during 
most  part  of  the  year  the  weather  is  gloomy  and  foggy. 
The  soil  on  this  island  (now  known  as  Baranov — the 
name  of  one  of  the  Governors)  is  marshland  and  partly 
stone,  covered  with  a  thin  layer  of  putrefied  matter. 
Novoarhangelsk  is  situated  on  the  western  coast  of  the 
island,  and  at  that  time  it  was  the  central  headquarters 
for  the  government  of  the  Bussian  Colonies  in  America. 
Novoarhangelsk  (New  Archangel)  or  Sitkha  is  sur- 
rounded by  mountains,  which  are  covered  with  forests 
of  tall  trees  of  the  fir  species.  It  should  be  mentioned 
that  the  woods  of  this  Hitkha  (the  Indian  name)  or  Bai  - 
anov  Island  are  of  a  wonderful  growth,  some  of  the 
trunks  of  bpruce  measuring  150  feet  in  length. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  Island — the  Eolosha  (or 
Thlinket  tribe  of  Alaskan  Indians),  among  whom  the 
Reverend  Father  Veniaminov  had  now  to  labor,  differed 
from  the  Aleuts  in  appearance  as  well  as  in  character. 
In  appearance  they  are  handsome:  they  have  large 
black  eyes,  correct  face,  black  hair,  and  are  of  medium 
stature.  The  Eolosha  has  a  proud  and  selfish  nature. 
On  visiting  the  Bussians  they  would  don  their  best 
apparel  and  maintain  a  haughty  bearing.  They  are  very 
revengeful;  if  a  Kolosha  for  some  reason  could  not 
avenge  himself  during  his  life  for  some  offense,  he 
would  transmit  his  revenge  to  his  generation.  The 
Eolosha  possess  a  lively  mind  and  they  are  sagacious. 

They  were  less  acquainted  with  the  christian  religion 
than  the  Aleuts.  Towards  the  Bussians,  ejpecially 
before  this  time,  they  were  hostile,  and  such  a  bearing 
greatly  impeded  the  spread  of  Christianity  among  them. 

After  his  arrival  in  Sitkha,  Father  John  commenced 
work  in  the  same  way  he  had  done  on  the  Island  of 
Ounalashka,  i.  e.  he  began  by  learning  the  language  and 
customs  of  the  Eoloshas,  and  theil  proceeded  to  preach 
the  Word  of  God  to  them.    At  the  same  time,  as  was 


1 
I 


f 


i 


18 


1 
t 


1 
f 


his  wont,  he  gave  freely  of  his  labor,  his  strength,  his 
health.  As  in  Ounalashka,  now  also  he  often  preached 
to  his  congregation  in  the  church,  and  when  possible 
visited  them  in  their  homes,  and  there  in  the  family — 
as  a  father  among  his  children — he  told  them  of  the 
Orthodox  religion.  The  Kolosha  learned  to  love  their 
teacher,  and  commenced  to  receive  him  with  a  welcome, 
willingly  and  attentively  listening  to  his  lessons. 

Living  among  the  Koloshas,  Father  John  wrote  ser- 
mons for  them  in  their  native  tongue  and  translated  the 
sacred  books,  which  helped  much  in  spreading  Ortho- 
doxy among  them.  The  labor  of  the  Reverend  John 
Veniaminov  was  not  lost;  the  result  was  that  the  num- 
ber of  christians  in  that  country  increased  very  rapidly. 

For  five  years  Father  John  worked  on  Baranov 
Island  (Sitkha).  His  fifteen  years  of  active  missionary 
life  (first  in  Ounalashka,  then  in  Sitkha)  was  distin- 
guished with  the  zeal  that  made  famous  the  first  teach- 
ers of  the  Gospel.  He  always  went  about  his  work 
with  great  care,  and  thereby  drew  to  himself  the  rough 
hearts  of  the  savages;  he  would  convince,  but  not  urge, 
then  patiently  wait  for  their  own  petition,  asking  for 
baptism.  For  the  children  Father  John  opened  schools, 
and  taught  them  from  books  he  had  himself  compiled. 
Finally,  besides  enlightening  the  natives  with  the 
knowledge  of  the  Gospel,  he  taught  them  the  different 
trades  of  smith-craft  and  carpentry,  and  also  introduced 
inoculation  (to  prevent  epidemics  among  them).  In 
this  way  he  won  their  hearty  sympathy;  the  Indians 
loved  him.  And  he  really  was  their  benefactor  and 
teacher. 

Many  years  of  experience  in  missionary  work  con- 
vinced our  preacher  that  it  was  difficult  to  keep  the 
spirit  of  Christianity  animated  in  a  country,  already 
containing  a  large  number  of  the  baptized,  and  in  which 
the  native  villages  are  so  scattered.     For  this,  continual 


/■ 


14 


exhortation  was  necessary,  and  yet  it  was  impossible 
through  the  lack  of  priests  and  insufficiency  of  means. 
In  order  to  remove  these  hindrances,  and  this  could  be 
done  by  the  authority  of  the  Church  Government,  it 
was  necessary  to  take  steps  and  intercede*.  And  so 
Father  John  decided  to  go  to  St.  Petersburg  for  this 
purpose.  Besides  this  he  must  apply  personally  for 
permission  to  print  his  Aleutian  translations  of  the 
sacred  books.  Having  thus  decided,  Father  John  took 
a  leave  of  absence,  and — sending  his  wife  and  children 
to  their  home  in  Irkoutsk — on  the  8th  of  November, 
1838,  he  left  Sitkha,  taking  sail  in  a  globe  circumnav- 
igating vessel.  His  voyage  continued  for  eight  months; 
on  the  25th  of  June,  1839,  Father  John  arrived  in  St. 
Petersburg  and  presented  his  petition  for  the  decision 
of  the  Most  Holy  Synod.  Learning  that  it  would  take 
some  months  before  the  question  of  his  petition  would 
be  taken  up,  he  occupied  himself  in  collecting  offerings 
for  the  purpose  of  propagating  and  confirming  the 
Christian  religion  in  the  Aleutian  Islands,  ard  for  this 
he  went  also  to  Moscow. 

In  Moscow  he  presented  himself  to  the  Most  Rever- 
end Philaret,  the  Metropolitan — Archbishop.  At  first 
sight  the  Prelate  took  a  liking  for  the  hardworking,  in- 
dustrious missionary.  ''There  is  something  apostle- 
like  in  this  man" — he  would  say  when  speaking  of 
Father  John.  More  than  once,  when  time  permitted, 
they  conversed  together  alone  and  the  Prelate  would 
listen  with  interest  to  the  wonderful  stories  Father  John 
told  of  his  life  in  the  Aleutian  Islands.  In  the  fall  our 
traveler  returned  to  St.  Petersburg  and  he  was  promoted 
to  the  office  of  Archpriest  for  his  long  apostolic  labors. 

But  at  this  time  he  received  the  sad  news,  informing 
him  of  the  death  of  his>  wife.  This  sorrow  weighed 
heavily  upon  him.  The  Metropolitan  Philaret,  consol-. 
ing  him,  advised  him  to  take  vows  and  enter  the  monas- 


« 


15 


a 


I 


tic  state.  This  proposal  compelled  the  Father  Arch- 
priest  to  stop  and  deeply  consider.  He  could  not  make 
up  his  mind,  because  his  six  children — two  sons  and 
four  daughters — seemed  to  hold  him  in  check;  he  had 
no  one  to  entrust  them  to  and  no  where  to  settle  tliem. 
Not  consenting  to  the  proposition  of  Metropolitan 
Philaret  he  went  to  Kiev  in  order  to  pray  there  and  pay 
his  reverence  to  those  miraculous  shrines.  On  his 
return  from  Kiev  he  was  summoned  before  the  Most 
Holy  Synod,  and  when  here  advised  to  take  the  vows  of 
a  monk,  he  consented,  giving  himself  up  to  the  will  of 
God.  His  children,  at  Philaret's  request,  were  settled 
in  the  best  possible  manner. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  1840,  the  Archpriest  John 
Veniaminov,  entering  the  monastic  order,  was  tonsured 
and  given  the  name  of  Innocent;  at  the  same  time  he 
was  ordered  as  an  Archimandrite  (an  abbot  with  the 
privilege  of  wearing  a  miter).  In  the  meantime  the 
Holy  Synod  had  concluded  to  organize  a  new  diocese  in 
Alaska.  The  question  arose  as  to  who  should  be  the 
bishop  of  the  new  diocese.  The  names  of  three  selected 
candidates  were  presented  to  the  Emperor  Nicholas 
Pavlovich,  one  of  which  was  that  of  the  Archimandrite 
Innocentius.  The  Sovereign  desired  to  see  him.  Hav- 
ing received  the  newly  appointed  Archimandrite  kindly, 
the  Emperor,  bidiiing  him  adieu,  said  to  him:  '*  Tell  the 
Metropolitan  it  is  my  desire  that  you  be  appointed 
bishop  for  the  new  diocese." 

The  cbnsecration  of  the  Bight  Reverend  Innocent  in 
the  episcopal  order  took  place  on  the  15th  of  December, 
1840,  in  St.  Petersburg,  in  the  grand  church  of  our  Lady 
of  Kazan.  "I  firmly  hope  and  believe,"  said  Inno- 
,  centius  at  the  time  of  his  installation  as  a  newly-elect 
Bishop,  "  that  the  Lord,  who  has  guided  me  so  long  and 
'  now  is  giving  me  this  new  lot  of  service,  will  by  His 
grace  give  me  also  new  and  greater  strength  for  the 


16 


accomplishmeDt  of  the  same.  I  pray  you,  the  Godly 
selected  fathers  and  guardians  of  the  Church  upon 
earth,  to  give  me  a  place  in  your  prayers,  praying  to  the 
Lord  in  my  behalf,  that  His  grace  and  mercy  be  with 
me  evermore."  The  10th  of  January,  1841,  was  the 
day  on  which  Bishop  Innocent  left  St.  Petersburg  to  go 
to  his  church  in  Alaska. 

On  his  way  back  he  visited  Irkoutsk.  One  can  im- 
agine with  what  feeling  the  Bight  Reverend  Innocent 
entered  his  native  city,  and  with  what  joy  and  venera- 
tion the  population  of  Irkoutsk  must  have  received  one 
of  their  former  pastors — John  Veniaminov,  who  now 
was  an  Arc'ipastor.  The  people  met  him  in  crowds  on 
entering  the  city;  the  bells  on  every  church  chimed. 
The  Bishop  visited  the  Church  of  the  Annunciation, 
where  he  formerly  served  as  a  priest,  and  offered  the 
Liturgy  and  a  thanksgiving  service.  Having  left  Ir- 
koutsk he  stopped  on  his  way  in  his  native  Anginskoe, 
went  into  the  cottage  in  which  he  was  born  and  where 
his  childhood  was  spent,  visited  his  old  acquaintances, 
and — having  offered  a  service  of  supplications — com- 
menced his  long  journey,  cheered  with  the  well  wishes 
of  his  countrymen.  At  last,  on  the  27th  of  September, 
1841,  after  a  long  and  tiresome  voyage,  Innocentius 
safely  reached  Sitkha,  or  the  port  of  New  Archangel. 


i 


t 

t 

i 


IV. 


Now  after  taking  upon  himself  a  new  vocation.  Bishop 
Innocent's  work  of  spreading  Christianity  and  enlight- 
enment had  greatly  increased.  He  commenced  by  open- 
ing new  parishes,  the  liecessity  of  which  by  this  time 
was  strongly  felt.  Ordaining  priests  for  the  new  par- 
ishes, the  Bight  Bev.  Innocent  gave  them  the  most' 


17 


i 


minute  instructioDS  how  to  act,  and  requested  them  to 
convince  by  the  power  of  the  Word,  but  not  with  force 
or  bribes. 

Only  seven  months  after  his  arrival  in  Novoarhan- 
gelsk  (Baranov  Island),  Bishop  Innocent  again  set  sail 
for  the  purpose  of  voyaging  through  the  diocese  and 
inspecting  it.  He  left  the  town  of  Sitkha  on  the  4th  of 
May,  1842. 

On  every  island,  in  each  village,  wherever  the  Bishop 
came,  he  was  received  with  the  greatest  triumph  and 
joy  by  the  inhabitants;  and  in  no  place  did  he  leave 
them  without  his  episcopal  instruction.  On  the  18th  of 
August,  1842,  he  landed  in  the  Port  of  Petropavlovsk, 
Kamchatka. 

Petropavlovsk  is  a  small  town  surrounded  by  moun- 
tains and  situated  on  their  slope  by  the  water — on  the 
Bay  of  Avachin.  The  houses  here  are  built  in  the  same 
fashion  that  we  find  them  iu  all  eastern  Siberia.  The 
haven,  broad  and  convenient  for  vessels,  is  known  to 
navigators  as  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world.  In  Petro- 
pavlovsk Bishop  Innocent  remained  for  four  mouths, 
awaiting  the  wintry  season  for  journeying.  Finally  on 
the  29th  of  November  the  great  journey  of  Innocentius 
through  Kamchatka  commenced.  The  Archpriest  Gro- 
mov,  who  was  one  of  the  travelers,  going  over  the  snow 
in  dog  sleighs,  describes  the  journey  in  these  words: 
* '  There  are  three  kinds  of  conveyances  which  are  used 
in  journeys  over  the  snow,  and  which  are  drawn  by 
dogs.  The  first  is  the  sanka — this  is  nothing  else  than 
a  saddle  made  of  twigs  and  rods  fixed  on  thin  slides. 
The  second  is  a  narta — very  much  like  a  child's  sled, 
only  much  larger,  and  then  the  povozochka,  also  a  narta 
with  the  addition  of  a  box  it  has  fixed  upon  it  which  is 
made  of  deer  skin  or  canvas.  Some  of  the  better  povo- 
zochki  contain  a  window  in  the  covering  made  of  glass 
or  mica,  so  that  during  long  voyages  one  may  read  and 


18 

not  feel  so  much  the  irksomeness.  On  the  sanka  only 
;>ne  person  can  sit,  and  it  is  used  for  light  drives.  The 
narta  is  used  for  transferring  heavy  weights,  and  the 
povozochka  for  the  carrying  of  important  personages 
and  the  higher  officials.  In  this  last  conveyance  only 
one  person  can  sit,  and  at  that  in  such  a  position  that 
he  cannot  move  or  turn.  O  the  front  the  Kayour 
(driver)  sits  supplied  with  a  pole,  whicn  serves  in  his 
hands  as  a  balance  over  uneven  roads,  and  as  a  brake 
on  going  down  hill.  For  the  sanka  five  dogs  are  suffi- 
cient, but  for  the  narta  and  povozochka  from  fourteen 
to  twenty  dogs  must  be  harnessed.  They  are  tied  in 
pairs  to  a  long  strap  which  is  attached  to  the  sleigh, 
and  this  sort  of  a  coach  flits  along  like  an  arrow  over 
the  snow-drifts.  The  dogs  are  controlled  by  the  voice 
of  the  kayour,  gkah,  gkah  (to  the  right),  gkuh,  gkuh 
(to  the  left),  hna  (stop)  but  for  trained  dogs  it  is  suffi- 
cient, without  using  the  voice,  to  strike  with  the  pole  on 
one  or  the  other  side  of  the  sleigh  and  they  will  turn  to 
the  right  or  left  accordingly." 

By  means  of  these  dog-sleds  the  Right  Bevereud 
Innocent  had  traveled  over  5000  versts.  "  One  cannot 
imagine — say  those  who  traveled  in  Kamchatka — all  the 
hardships  of  the  traveler  who  is  drawn  only  by  dogs  for 
several  hundred  miles  over  a  snowy  plain,  when  the 
thermometer  falls  to  twenty  below  zero  in  a  Siberian 
frost.  For  the  safety  of  travelers  in  a  snowstorm,  which 
sometimes  lasts  for  several  days  in  succession,  log  huts 
at  every  forty  or  fifty  versts  are  built,  and  in  these  they 
pass  the  night.  In  these  huts,  which  are  not  made  well, 
a  stone  fireplace  can  be  found.  But  it  often  happens 
that  travelers  cannot  reach  such  a  shelter  before  night; 
they  then  dig  into  the  snow  till  they  reach  the  ground, 
which  makes  a  kind  of  cave,  at  the  entrance  of  which 
they  light  a  fire,  and  in  this  way,  in  a  most  severe  frost, 
they  are  compelled  to  pass  the  night." 


19 

On  the  3rd  of  April,  1843,  Bishop  Innocent  arrived 
in  Ohotsk,  where  he  remained  for  about  four  months; 
at  that  time  he  was  spreading  the  Faith  among  the 
Eoriak,  Chukcha  and  the  Tunguz. 

At  last  the  first  journey  of  Bishop  Innocent  was  fin- 
ished, and  he  safely  arrived  in  Novoarhangelsk,  where 
he  occupied  himself  in  bringing  to  order  his  young  dio- 
cese But  this  was  not  his  last  tour  of  inspection;  he 
had  made  three  such  voyages  and  journeys,  during 
which  he  carefully  examined  the  newly  organized  par- 
ishes,  consecrated  churches,  personally  preached  the 
word  of  God  to  the  natives  and — where  it  was  possible 
— opened  schools  for  the  children.  For  his  good  work 
in  1850  Innocentius  was  raised  to  the  dignity  of  an 
Archbishop. 

The  success  in  spreading  Christianity  on  the  distant 
borders  of  Asia  and  America  by  the  Most  Reverend 
Innocent  was  the  reason  why  the  higher  government  of 
the  church  added  to  his  diocese  the  country  of  the 
Yakout,  with  the  inhabitants  of  which  he  earlier  be- 
came acquainted.  On  this  account  Archbishop  Inno- 
cent had  to  change  the  place  of  his  residence  from 
Novoarhangelsk,  or  Sitkha,  to  the  city  of  Yokoutsk  in 
Siberia. 

Living  in  Yakoutsk  the  Prelate  took  much  pains  in 
supervising  the  translation  of  the  sacred  books  into  the 
Yakout  language.  Great  was  the  day  for  the  Yakout 
people,  when  at  last  the  first  Liturgy  wnp  offered  in 
their  native  language. 

The  Archbishop  himself  officiated  at  the  praise  ser- 
vice and  read  the  Gospel.  This  event  had  so  touched 
the  hearts  of  the  Yakouts  that  their  native  represent- 
atives came  to  the  Prelate  Innocent  with  their  petition, 
asking  that  this  day  forever  be  kept  as  a  holiday,  be- 
cause it  was  the  first  on  which  they  heard  in  the  temple, 
the  Divine  teaching  in  their  own  tongue. 


90 

From  Yakoutsk  the  Archbishop,  not  considering  his 
old  age,  often  undertook  journeys  over  his  great  diocese 
which  now  had  become  much  more  widened,  exposing 
himself  to  privations  and  dangers.  During  one  of  these 
journeys,  when  in  the  port  of  Ayan,  he  was  nearly  cap- 
tured by  the  English,  who  suddenly  took  possession  of 
that  town,  they  being  then  at  war  with  Russia. 

At  the  end  of  June,  1857,  the  Most  Beverend  Inno- 
cent was  summoned  to  St  Petersburg  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  part  in  the  councils  of  the  Most  Holy  Synod. 
During  his  sojourn  in  the  Capital  an  Imperial  High 
Degree  had  been  issued,  granting  two  Vicars  (assistant 
Bishops  to  an  Archbishop),  one  for  Yakoutsk  and  the 
other  for  Sitkha.  In  this  way  the  labors  of  the  Vener- 
able Archbishop  were  made  lighter. 

The  Most  Beverend  Innocent  left  St.  Petersburg  in 
the  beginning  of  1858,  but  before  going  to  Yakoutsk  he 
traveled  through  the  Amoor  Country,  which  was  then 
annexed  to  Bussia.  The  great  Amoor  Biver  flows  for 
several  thousand  versts  and  separates  the  Chinese 
boundary  line  from  he  Bussian.  During  this  journey 
the  Archbishop  stc  ped  in  almost  every  town  by  the 
Biver  and  held  se.  ices.  B.ut  what  was  still  more 
simple,  he  would  soi  atimes  on  passing  a  village  give 
orders  to  land,  and  t  en  he  would  commence  to  teach 
the  inhabitants  who  had  run  together  on  the  beach. 
And  nothing  on  these  occasions  was  hid  from  the  Pre- 
late; he  entered  into  all  the  cares  and  needs  of  his 
people,  both  the  spiritual  and  the  bodily. 

In  1862  the  Most  Beverend  Innocent  took  up  his  home 
in  the  town  of  Blagoveshchensk  on  the  banks  of  the 
Amoor.  Here  also  he  continued  untiringly  to  fulfill 
the  duties  of  his  office,  endeavoring  much  to  firmly 
plant  Orthodoxy  in  the  diocese.  From  this  place  he 
likewise  often  undertook  journeys  along  the  Amoor  and 
into  other  districts,  personally  inspecting  and  instruct- 


u 


91 


ing  the  newly  converted.  But  old  age  and  poor  health 
already  compelled  him  to  think  of  rest.  He  ai)ked  to 
be  relieved  and  to  be  given  quarters  for  rest.  Bat  his 
pastoral  cares  were  not  to  be  ended  this  time,  and  the 
will  of  God  prepared  for  him  another  duty. 

In  1867  Philaret,  the  Metropolitan  of  Moscow,  had 
passed  into  eternity,  and  for  a  long  time  it  could  not  be 
decided  as  to  who  should  be  appointed  successor  to  the 
great  Prelate.  At  last  the  election  was  held;  the  Arch- 
bishop Innocent  was  appointed  to  succeed  the  deceased 
Metropolitan.  The  Most  Keverend  Innocent  was 
shocked  with  greater  surprise  than  any  one  elst^  Hav- 
ing read  the  dispatch,  he  changed  in  the  face,  and  for 
some  minutes  fell  into  deep  thought.  He  then  secluded 
himself  for  that  day,  and  during  the  night  he  prayed 
long  and  fervently  upon  his  knees.  He  was  taken  with 
wonder  over  his  own  destiny;  the  son  of  a  poor  village 
sexton,  who  at  one  time  was  unable  to  become  the  sac- 
ristan in  place  of  his  father,  comes  to  be  one  of  the  first 
hierarchs  in  the  great  Russian  Church — a  Metropolitan 
in  Moscow! 

In  sincere  humility,  notwithstanding  his  poor  health, 
Archbishop  Innocent  accepted  his  new  appointment  and 
began  to  prepare  for  the  way. 

It  would  be  needless  to  say  with  what  expressions  of 
joy  and  veneration  the  inhabitants  of  the  cities  of 
Siberia  had  met  and  seen  him  off  on  the  way  through 
which  he  must  pass.  It  was  the  first  time  in  their  life 
they  had  seen  a  Metropolitan,  and  the  last,  as  the  Pre- 
lates who  are  invested  with  such  high  dignity,  do  not 
visit  these  distant  places.  With  especial  triumph  he 
was  waited  upon  in  his  own  native  Irkoutsk,  where, 
owing  to  washouts,  he  had  to  remain  for  a  considerable 
time,  during  which  he  offered  the  Liturgy  several  times, 
together  with  other  Bishops  who  were  there,  Finally 
at  9:30  o'clock,  on  the  evening  of  the  25th  of  May,  !1.868, 

1456B2 


22 


the  ringing  bells  heard  all  over  Moscow  announced  that 
the  new  Archpastor  had  arrived  in  the  capital.  On  the 
next  day  the  Most  Reverend  Innocentius,  Metropolitan 
of  Moscow  and  Kolomna,  officially  entered  the  great 
Church,  of  the  Assumption/  On  entering  the  Cath- 
edral the  Prelate  delivered  an  address  which  was  full  of 
true  humility. 

"  Who  am  I — he  said — to  dare  to  take  the  word  and 
the  power  of  my  predecessors?  A  pupil  of  distant 
times,  of  a  remote  country,  who  passed  more  than  half 
a  life  time  on  the  frontiers;  one  who  is  only  a  common 
worker  in  Christ's  vineyard,  a  teacher  of  children  and 
of  those  who  are  new  in  the  Faith." 

With  such  humility  did  the  Metropolitan  Innocent 
enter  into  his  new  office.  He  was  now  more  than  sev- 
enty years  of  age,  worn  with  sickness,  nearly  blind,  yet 
he  was  full  of  strengtii  and  zeal  for  activity.  Adminis- 
tering to  the  government  of  his  new  diocese,  by  his  care 
he  did  much  that  was  beneficial.  He  erected  asylums 
for  widows  and  orphans,  organized  diflPerent  benevolent 
societies,  sought  to  alleviate  the  condition  of  the  poor 
clergy,  took  measures  for  the  better  education  of  the 
populace,  and  besides  all  this,  sat  in  the  Council  of  the 
Holy  Synod,  taking  part  in  ministering  the  spiritual 
affairs  of  all  Bussia.  On  the  18th  of  May,,  1871,  exactly 
fifty  years  had  passed  from  the  day  on  which  John 
Veniaminov  was  ordained  a  priest,  and  the  whole  body 
of  the  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Moscow  tendered  their 
heartfelt  congratulations  to  the  Metropolitan. 

But  in  the  midst  of  pastoral  work  and  cares  old  age 
and  bodily  ailments  already  began  to  tell  upon  the  Most 
Reverend  Innocent  Finally  sickness  entirely  weak- 
ened him,  when  on  the  30th  of  March,  1879,  he  called 
to  nis  bedside  the  house-warden,  the  Hieromouach  Ar- 
senius,  that  he  may  read  for  him  the  office  said  at  the 
departure  of  a  soul,  and  at  2  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of 
the  81st  of  March,  Innocentius  had  passed  away. 


23 

"  Tell  them— he  said,  dying— that  no  eulogies  be  pro- 
nounced at  my  funeral;  they  only  contain  praise.  -Let 
them  rather  preach  a  sermon;  it  may  be  instructive; 
and  here  is  the  text  for  it:  *  The  ways  of  man  are  or- 
dered by  the  Lord.'' " 

At  11  o'clock  the  next  day  the  great  bell  in  the  tower 
of  Ivan  the  Great  pealed  forth  the  announcement  to  the 
citizens  of  Moscow,  that  the  Prelate  was  dead.  On  the 
5th  of  April  the  body  of  the  reposed  was  buried  in  the 
ground  by  the  side  of  the  grave  of  the  Metropolitan 
Philaret  in  the  Troitse— Sergiev  Monastery. 

And  long  will  Russia  remember  this  great  worker, 
who  planted  the  Faith  of  Christ  among  so  many  Pagan 
tribes  in  the  most  distant  and  severe  countries,  truly 
with  saintly  patience,  with  meekness  and  remarkable 
humility.  For  an  example  of  such  humility,  and  such 
simple  words,  which  are  penetrated  with  pure,  fervent 
faith,  we  have  a  small  book  written  by  Metropolitan 
Innocent,  and  it  is:  Showing  the  Way  to  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven.  It  is  pointed  out  in  this  splendid 
book,  how  we  may  fulfill  the  word  of  the  Savior— take 
the  cross  and  follow  him— how  we  may  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost,  how  we  may  destroy  the  wall  of  sins,  which  sep- 
arates us  from  our  Redeemer  and  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven. 


pmpnmw 


In  the  realms  of  God's  eternal  mansions, 

Now  thou  resteat,  faithful  planter  of  His  missions. 

No  words  of  ours  can  justly  honor  thee  in  a  praise  of  rhyme; 

On  high  we  look  and  behold  thy  halo,  truly  apostolic  and  sublime. 

Corona  of  glory,  Innocent,  teacher  of  the  Aleut,  and  the  Indian's 

friend! 
Ever  blessed  in  the  memory  of  the  Kamohadal  and  the  Yakout 

who  are  by  thee  gladdened. 
Note  also  this  gathering  and  the  joy  of  all  thy  people  on  the 

hundreth  anniversary  of  thy  birth; 
The  Orthodox  Church  in  wide  America  exults,  because  thy  Alaskan 

Diocese  was  her  birth. 


/ 


